Comments on: Why Twitter-loving PRs shouldn’t forget Facebook

By: Why social media won’t but could win the election: #LEWISSMS — Danny Whatmough.com

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:11:23 +0000

[...] debate raged limped around the various merits or not of tweeting and blogging but, as anyone who knows their stuff will tell you, Facebook is where the war can be won or lost. Twitter is the media’s shiny new plaything, [...]

By: Clever AP knows Facebook can become the web’s newspaper — Danny Whatmough.com

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:14:32 +0000

[...] recently to mirror this. It is a move that seems to be working, with recent research showing that Facebook is becoming a major driver to news networks. Outlets like the NYT has realised this and AP seems to be catching up on the action now [...]

By: Danny Whatmough

Danny Whatmough — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:12:16 +0000

Thanks Aliera. I agree that finding your audience is of course key. But I wonder, as social networks get bigger, it might not necessarily be about which 'network' is most relevant, but which 'niche within a network' is most relevant… I feel another blog coming on about this…!

By: Danny Whatmough

Danny Whatmough — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:11:05 +0000

Thanks Paul – you are right, creativity is important here. Content is King and the quality of that content is all important.

The B2B one is interesting isn't it. Traditionally B2B brand may well have stayed clear from Facebook altogether, but I think this is changing…

By: alierapeterson

alierapeterson — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:44:38 +0000

I think you make a good point about Facebook being a powerful driver of traffic and that interactions that do happen on Facebook (while they usually happen less frequently) can be more significant than interactions that happen elsewhere.

When creating a social media strategy, however, I think it's important to use the tools that complement your overarching media relations strategies and refrain from adding tools to your arsenal just because they're available.

Certain demographics like to hang out on one network more than others and it's important to know who you're looking to speak to when adding social media tools to a campaign. If your target prefers Facebook, then it makes sense to spend more time nurturing those relationships on a platform where they're comfortable rather than making broad sweeping strokes across all social media platforms.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

By: Paul Sutton

Paul Sutton — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:38:29 +0000

Totally agree, Danny. Facebook has the potential to be more effective than Twitter for brands, but it takes creativity and strategy to get right. Brands fail because they plough in without thinking things through and put up pages that add little value. Why be a fan of X brand just because it's on Facebook?

The creative angle is certainly applicable to consumer brands, but I believe it's tougher for B2B to be successful on Facebook as, unlike Twitter, Facebook is a more personal platform for friends. To break through this a B2B brand has to do something very special, don't you think?

By: Danny Whatmough

Danny Whatmough — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:58:21 +0000

Thanks James – I agree. I think in many ways, marketers have always been more wary of Facebook because it is harder to 'get right' – something you allude to. And you are also right to point out that targeting the right audience is vital too. However, I would suggest that as Facebook's dominance grows, finding and targeting the 'niche within the network' could be the way to go…

By: James Warnette

James Warnette — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:51:36 +0000

You make some good points fella, but I think for every brand that has a successful campaign on Facebook, there will be another five that flounder, for various reasons. These reasons include a poorly thought out initial strategy, and actually assessing whether Facebook is the driver for that brand.

I know we keep saying it, but its still early days, nothing is cast in stone. I think its fun experimenting, working out what works and what quite frankly pees people off. Which neatly leads me to your closing remark. Facebook might have a big audience, but I've found more often than not, its the niche audience that pays dividends…